I don't think that was supersonic: no sonic boom.

The boom occurs when it passes from sub to supersonic. After that the only way to tell it that the sound is trailing the plane as an audible ghost. It was definitely traveling supersonic.

Phelixian, you are incorrect. The sonic boom is due to a pressure wave passing you from object moving at supersonic speeds. It's continuous, not unlike the bow wave of a boat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_boom

Otherwise, supersonic planes like the old Concorde would have been allowed over populated areas.

Isn't the most perceptually noticeable sonic boom right as the sound barrier is crossed. That's when all of the pressure waves are "stacking up" on top of each other because the vehicle is matching speeds with the pressure waves.

That's what this wikipedia diagram that you just linked seems to show:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mach_cone.svg

If Mach is significantly greater than 1, then the pressure waves on that diagram are as far spaced as the ones for subsonic flight.

It sounds like Ricky Bobby is doing the on-camera commentary.

Impressive, but I don't think it's supersonic. You can clearly hear it approaching.

Its definitely not flying, you can see its supported by strings

You guys have no idea what you're talking about.

JJ Fad clearly stated what the term Supersonic means:

"You see, the 'S' is for super, and the 'U' is for unique
The 'P' is for perfection and you know that we are freaks
The 'E' is for exotic, and the 'R' is for raps
So tell those nosy people just to stay the hell back "

I wonder how much interest is owed on the loan the government had to take out to buy the plane?

>> ^Payback:
Phelixian, you are incorrect. The sonic boom is due to a pressure wave passing you from object moving at supersonic speeds. It's continuous, not unlike the bow wave of a boat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_boom
Otherwise, supersonic planes like the old Concorde would have been allowed over populated areas.


I stand corrected. It is much louder when traveling at the Mach 1 boundary then when past it. Also jets are allowed to travel over populated areas supersonic as long as they are at 30,000 feet or above.

I am impressed with the camera dude, he was actually able to keep it in frame even though it was moving like that, well done!

>> ^phelixian:
>>
I stand corrected. It is much louder when traveling at the Mach 1 boundary then when past it. Also jets are allowed to travel over populated areas supersonic as long as they are at 30,000 feet or above.


Bizzarely, flying HIGHER makes it WORSE, even at 70,000ft. Flying lower than 60,000 is extremely inefficient for supersonics, but flying lower actually makes the boom lessened, when you read into the article.

Good possibility this plane is supersonic, it's just too close to the ground for the pressure waves between the nose and tail to form.

^Good possibility this plane is supersonic, it's just too close to the ground for the pressure waves between the nose and tail to form.

There's no chance that I can see that it was super sonic. As Arg mentioned above you can hear the plane coming before it gets there. If it isn't traveling as fast or faster than its own sound then it's not supersonic, that's what supersonic means.

As Payback already pointed out, it's definitely not supersonic.
Also, one of the characteristics of a sonic boom is the loud CRACK that you get as it passes by. This is loud enough to deafen people and shatter windows for at least 100 meters around. (Probably further.) So if that had really been a supersonic flight, the lense to that camera would be cracked and the operator would be deaf.

It's still darn awesome though.

Come on guys, let's use some common sense. Does it appear to be traveling 800mph?? Or 1/5 of a mile per second?

It probably travels a mile during the five seconds you can see it.

>> ^Sylvester_Ink:
As Payback already pointed out, it's definitely not supersonic.
Also, one of the characteristics of a sonic boom is the loud CRACK that you get as it passes by. This is loud enough to deafen people and shatter windows for at least 100 meters around.


Um.. the sonic boom I thought was at the moment you exceed speed of sound when you stack up the soundwaves.

Do you think all planes flying at supersonic CONSTANTLY emit a sonic boom everywhere they fly? Wouldn't that make fighter plane detection pretty easy?

Yes, they do emit a sonic boom the entire time they are super sonic. The boom isn't caused just by the fact that they break the barrier, it's because of the shock wave caused by the passage of the plane through the air and that shock wave travels with the plane.

Yes, fighter planes traveling at super sonic speeds would be easier to detect for that reason, and for that reason stealth fighters were designed to perform at sub mach maximums. There's no need for a "stealth" fighter to ever break the sound barrier, doing so would defeat the purpose so they had a max speed of Mach 0.92.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-117_Nighthawk

There could be an argument for them to have super sonic capability in case they do get spotted and need to get away but everything is a trade off between utility for the purpose and just in case needs and in this case they decided it wasn't anything they needed.

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